904, Corellia's New Star
It was already the third month of 21 BBY.
The flames of war burning across the Milky Way Galaxy once again grew ever more intense...
On the 15th of the third month, the InterGalactic Banking Clan and Fourth Group suddenly launched an offensive in the Northern Galaxy, gathering a powerful force of 30 Behemoth-class battlecruisers and over 50 Munificent-class communications frigates for a surprise attack.
The Galactic Republic 8th Army fleet surrounding Makito was nearly routed at the first blow before such overwhelming forces. With the battle situation collapsing, Jedi Master Sass Tiin personally led a fighter squadron in a raid on the Separatist fleet's flagship.
The Dark Jedi Knight Ulu-Ulix, who was commanding the fleet, was nearly killed by Sass Tiin. As he fled in panic, the Republic fleet finally seized this sole opportunity and withdrew from the battlefield amid the Separatist fleet's confusion.
Immediately afterward, having recovered his bearings, Ulu-Ulix led his fleet straight in and began attacking the key waypoint along the hyperspace route leading to Ord Mantell, the headquarters of the 8th Army—Janfatar.
As the planet was surrounded, its long-oppressed workers went on strike, refusing to produce anything for the planetary government to use in resisting the Confederacy of Independent Systems invasion.
After analyzing the situation, the Galactic Republic Supreme Strategic Command concluded that the Northern Galaxy offensive could not be ignored. Otherwise, after suffering setbacks on both the Western Reaches and Southern Territory fronts, they might once again lose control of the relatively stable Northern Galaxy.
However, fleets everywhere were stretched thin, and both personnel and commanders were in desperately short supply. After discussing matters with the Jedi Order, the Jedi Order stated that with Master Windu gravely wounded, they truly could not provide more manpower to assist the Northern Galaxy